Frozen Pizza: Trader Giotto's Pizza Margherita

I didn't grow up with frozen pizza. My dad used to pop two English Muffins in the toaster oven for us, and top them with marinara sauce and shredded cheese, but that was the extent of my quick-faux-pizza childhood experience. So I come to frozen pizza with an open mind. Is it possible to find tasty frozen pizza? Are there any worth keeping around for when you're in a pinch?

We'll see. I started out simple this week with Trader Joe's frozen Pizza Margherita with Mozzarella and Grana cheese.

It didn't look promising right out of the box. But once cooked, the cheese got some nice golden spots and the crust got crisp. I think I'd actually cook it a bit longer next time: The hint of toastiness on more-cooked parts were tastier than areas that got a little less heat. (Next time, I'd also turn the pizza halfway through, since it looks like my oven's a bit uneven.)

The crust was a little brittle, lacking the pliable chew of good fresh pizza, but the flavor was bready and vaguely sourdoughlike. The sauce tasted mostly of tomato paste, with a little sweetness. A few canned tomatoes would have lightened it up considerably. The cheese was the highlight, milky with a decent sweet flavor and stringiness.

Maybe going simple was the wrong idea; since the ingredients involved didn't really shine in frozen form. Perhaps we'll do better with more toppings to mask subpar crust and sauce?

'Fess up, Slice'rs: Do you have any frozen pizzas you turn to on a busy night?

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About the Author

Maggie Hoffman is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats. While she has specialized since 2009 on beer, wine, and cocktail coverage, these days she's just as likely to work on stories about crazy-delicious food wherever you are.

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